It was a long weekend and Blackhoof sallied forth into the battlegrounds again. This was no honor grind. Honor is precarious. Given out by the Powers that Be, and revoked as easily by the same Powers. The Powers grant benefits and rewards, and the Powers are also the first to lock you out again when you fail to pass the muster. The Powers won’t deny progress, but the Powers are soon to be packing up. When Honor changes in the future, to become nothing more than a rankless commodity to be spent like copper, that’s the day our War is over. That’s when we become mercenaries, assassins, and/or terrorists. Out on our own business or vendettas when we lose State sponsorship. “For the Horde” will be such a hollow battlecry. While Blackhoof will never make Warlord, he doesn’t deserve to wear that Warlord gear. If “Honor” is to become nothing more than credits earned towards buying reward, this is nothing more than being able to buy General’s stars at the pawn shop. You’re not a General, you’ve only got money.

But, I digress. Alterac Valley, the last few battles, were absolutely horrible! The Alliance are taking the Frostwolf Aid Station and we’re still on the road leading to Stormpike Graveyard. Is it me, or is Frostwolf way too spread out to make defensible? I mean we enter Stormpike and we have towers on both sides, NPC’s everywhere, live defenders all over the place. I was over in Frostwolf and I was alone when I watched a mage two-shot the entire Frostwolf Aid Station guard with Arcane Explosions. He was backed up with Paladins and some Rogues and then there was a swarm of them. We’ve captured Stonehearth and they’re assaulting our Aid Station. It’s always the same. We get Stonehearth, they get SnowFall. Then they grab Iceblood and it’s we who ride the gauntlet through them to our frontline.

Second to last match I’m in I see a /say while we wait for the gates to open. “Anyone for Capture a Mine?” I see someone say “Sure.” I ask “Can we also do Proving Grounds?” “Sure.” So we ride out, Blackhoof and two Hunters. It’s very easy with them. We capture the mine from the Kobolds and see it revert to Orcish labor. Then we ride south to the Windpaw Caverns. Again, very easy. At that point I see by the map that the Alliance have assaulted a few bldgs in Frostwolf. The Horde is strung out on the road north, and there’s more than 10 AFK according to the raid chat.

It took a week but the Alliance x-server pugs have gotten the Zerg to Drekk down to an art.

I reach exalted though and take my ride up to the Frostwolf quartermaster north of Tarren Mill. I buy my Immovable Object and I buy The Unstoppable Force. Yes, I respecced back to Enhancement, with Stormstrike, to see how the up-close-and-personal battles in Arathi Basin will go. I do have about 1,000 more Reputation to earn with the Frostwolf and that will get me the Rank 6 Frostwolf Insignia. That’ll be a nice “Been there, done that, lots” memento. And Faction Reputation, unlike Honor, you can’t lose. I’ll always be esteemed by the Clan. That’s an accomplishment.

After reaching exalted, but before respeccing, Blackhoof accompanied Droonda down to the sands of Tanaris. She had never been there and took the missions the goblins had to go kill Rogues and Bandits and Assassins. She did the business, and I kept her safe and healthy. We didn’t group so she’d receive the full benefit of the experience. Except on the mages, which I’d pull by attacking their voidwalkers.

We also rode up to Steamwheedle and got all the pirate missions. Blackhoof had never done them himself so we grouped for that. And when Nachmahd appeared and learned where we were, he wanted to join us as well. Rum: Everyone wants some. And we rolled through that camp like cavalry through a wheat field. >>Epic’d Shaman<< thank you very much. But 20 pirate hats took so long! But this was satisfying. Especially after the drubbing given the Horde by the Alliance. At least in my Battlegroup.

Msaker, level 49 now, Droonda, nearly level 44, and Nachmahd, also level 49, have a few more things to do yet in Feralas. The rain forest is very nice in the rain too.